Yarbrough Road in Harvest dealing with aftermath of second tornado in less than a year

Judy Hodges surveys damage to the living room of her home near the corner of Yarbrough and Old Railroad Bed roads in Harvest. Hodges, her husband and some neighbors safely rode out Friday's storm in an underground bunker, but their house didn't fare as well. A contractor has already told them it will probably have to be demolished. (The Huntsville Times/Bob Gathany)

HARVEST, Alabama -- James and Judy Hodges were finally putting the drama of last April's tornadoes behind them.

The $65,000 remodeling job on their home at the corner of Old Railroad Bed and Yarbrough roads turned out great. On Thursday, Judy Hodges wrote a check to begin paying off the couple's brand new Ford Ranger, a 2011 tornado replacement as well.

"The check was in the mailbox," she said. "But the mailbox ended up coming through the window."

A missing mailbox is the least of the Hodges' troubles after their house took what appeared to be a direct twister hit Friday morning.

Well over a dozen other homes along Yarbrough Road -- an area just winking back to life following last year's storms -- were also heavily damaged. Authorities, including Madison Mayor Paul Finley, said they were not aware of any serious injuries.

Friday's twister followed an eerily similar path to the April 27, 2011, tornado that left much of Harvest in tatters.

Kati Blockel was lying in bed Friday when the twister yanked off the roof of the home she shares with her fiancee, Randy Wilson, near Yarbrough Road and Wilbanks Lane.

"It got really high-pitched, like a big squeaking noise," Blockel said. "Then there was a big boom, and I started getting hit with rain, hail and chunks of insulation."

As she ran to a bathroom for cover, an empty single-wide trailer across Yarbrough Road was blown off its foundations. It rolled about 100 yards -- getting flattened in the process -- before slamming into Blockel's house.

Last April, the trailer across the street was blown into the same house. Only that time, the owners and their young daughter were inside. Wilson said the family was thrown onto his front porch, still clasped in a bear hug.

"Twice in less than a year," Blockel said, shaking her head. "I don't think I want to live in Harvest anymore."

Al Juarez, a construction worker who repaired damaged homes on Yarbrough Road after last year's storms, said he saw the tornado coming while working near Nick Fitcheard and Burwell roads.

"It scared us to death," Juarez said. "It was just a big wall cloud, a huge wall cloud. You could see debris coming out of it. It was easily a half-mile wide."

Standing in the doorway of his home on Bridges Drive near Yarbrough Road, Tom Ashmore couldn't help but laugh as he considered getting hit twice in the span of 10 months.

"It may be time to move," Ashmore said.

On second thought, Ashmore said he would probably stay after just having moved back in November. The damage was worse last year. This time, he had roof damage and some windows blown out along with a garage door that had collapsed and a mangled HVAC unit.

"We'll rebuild. We'll do it again," he said.

Yarbrough Road in Harvest was a tangle of downed utility poles and electric lines following Friday morning's tornado. The area was also heavily damaged by the April 27, 2011, twisters. (The Huntsville Times/Bob Gathany)

Good Samaritans from Crosswinds United Methodist Church in Harvest mobilized to help. Pastor Suzanne Katschke, her husband, Michael, and several other church members walked up and down Yarbrough Road handing out free National Guard tarps left over from last year.

The group had to hop over fallen telephone poles to reach the hardest-hit areas.

Back at the Hodges' place, half of the roof is gone and what's left is sagging dangerously. Windows are popped. The front porch columns are strewn across a muddy field. Inside, it's a mess of rainwater and insulation and broken glass.

Scott Locke, the builder who remodeled the Hodges' home after last year's storms, said the damage this time appears to be beyond repair.

"It's been hit twice," Locke said after inspecting the house. "There's no sense trying to save it."

James Hodges, a lifelong resident of Yarbrough Road, has been down this path before. He said the devastating 1974 and 1995 tornadoes just missed the area. But he's not budging..

"It's a loss, and it hurts," said Hodges. "But we're going to have it dozed and start over."

Son Mike Hodges joked that his parents might want to bury a west-facing hatchet in their yard, as the Plains Indians once did in hopes of splitting tornadoes in half to diminish their power.

The Hodges and their neighbors, Jim and Shelly Estill, took cover in an underground storm shelter as the tornado approached. They had barely gotten the door closed when all heck broke loose.

The Estills just moved back into their remodeled house in January. The yellow construction Dumpster still in the front yard will now be pressed back into service collecting debris from Friday's tornado.

The 36-foot RV where the family lived during the remodeling project flipped over and crashed into the side of their house.

Locke said he figures to have a busy next few months repairing storm damage around Harvest.